Pocono: Sassinator scores in stakes feature

Driver Mark Herschberger, continuing to make a name for himself by currently sitting third in the win production totals at both Harrah's Philadelphia and the Meadowlands, showed another sign of his upward turn in recognition during the Monday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. He was asked by trainer Jim King Jr. to make a cameo appearance at the mountain oval to drive Sassinator in the $84,700 Bret Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. stake for 2-year-old pacing males, and he cashed in fully with his only drive by winning in 1:52 2/5.

Sassinator, an altered son of Papi Rob Hanover-Newborn Sassy owned by Tim Tetrick LLC. and Jo Ann Looney-King, left strongly from the rail and seated rivals early, but then favored River Ranch Mac decided to move past the 27 4/5 quarter and got the lead well before the 55 4/5 half.

Herschberger had plenty of horse in the two-hole and moved Sassinator back to command past the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, but just because River Ranch Mac had been passed didn't mean he was done as he re-rallied in the Pocono Pike. However, his late surge came up a head shy in the 27 4/5 last quarter.

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In the $16,000 fast-class event for older trotters, the International Moni gelding Scudo Hanover had about as rough a trip as can be imagined, but he still strode clear to win by five lengths in 1:53. Scudo Hanover was four-wide leaving and had worked his way down to two-wide in third by the 27 4/5 quarter while pressing forward. Cassius Hanover would not let him clear to the lead, however, and "Scudo" was first, though still outside at the mid-splits of 55 1/5 and 1:23 3/5.

The powerful winner just kept on going and finally managed to clear the leader around the far turn, drawing off to win for driver Ridge Warren and trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.

Half of the remaining 12 races on the Monday 14-race card were won by 15-time Pocono driving champion George Napolitano Jr., including both divisions of a $15,500 trot for developing horses.

The faster of George's winners in this group was the Ready Cash 3-year-old filly Tindra Cash S, just a bit more photogenic in 1:54 1/5 for trainer Ake Svanstedt and Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc.; just a tick behind was the other winner On Golden Pond, a Southwind Frank mare who took a new mark for trainer Marc Mosher and owner Ronald Bolduc.

Aside from "George Nap"'s six-bagger, multiple winners Monday were the 2026 leading Pocono winner in the driving category Tyler Buter, along with trainer Tom Cancelliere, both his winners driven by Napolitano.

The Davidia Hanover, a Simpson Stake for two-year-old trotting fillies, will go in two $47,550 divisions as the feature on the 1 p.m. (EDT) Tuesday card, which will also have a carryover into the last race High 5 wager.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--